Since the arrival of last minute deadline day signing Jacob Butterfield, Boro have finally found their feet on the goal scoring front.

With six goals in the last three games, four of them coming away from home and two against a Nottingham Forest side who had previously only conceded one in six, Butterfield has finally added that bit of creativity in Boro’s trio of hardworking midfielders.

Something that the club has lacked since the days of Bolo Zenden.

With the departure of Josh McEachran following his rather unspectacular loan spell, fans were crying out for Tony Mowbray to go out and bring in an experienced midfielder who offered a bit more than graft and consistency.

And it looks like the former Norwich City player could be the right man to fill the void in a side that has struggled to find the link up play between midfield and attack easy to come by.

It’s been a long time since the team has featured a player who can actually pass forward.

Nicky Bailey was brought in by Gordon Strachan as a gut-busting attacking midfielder, but that ship soon sailed when he was modified into a tough tackling, ball winning anchor man by Mowbray.

Even back in the days of Gareth Southgate's reign, Boro desperately lacked flair in the middle, despite the best efforts of Julio Arca and Fabio Rochemback.

Plenty have been tried and tested in this mythical role, McEachran, Zemmama, even Gary O’Neil was used there.

But despite Grant Leadbitter’s many strengths, one thing he does lack is the ability to play a killer through ball.

It was painfully obvious that the team couldn’t continue playing the way they were because the link up play was just nonexistent.

There is as much creativity in those three players as there is hair on Jozsef Varga’s head.

And if the two wide players weren’t turning up, which at times they weren’t, we were in big trouble.

Especially when your defence isn’t at the top of their game.

Although hard work isn’t a bad thing.

Every team needs players who fit that role. Look at QPR’s Championship winning team, despite the talents of Adel Taraabt, Alejandro Faurlín and Ákos Buzsáky, it was Shaun Derry who played a massively important part in their success.

And with Leadbitter, Whitehead and Varga, Boro have three quality talents in that area.

However with the signing of Butterfield no longer is the attack solely focussed on the wing play of Muzzy Carayol and Albert Adomah.

With Butterfield’s ability to play an array of effective passing in midfield, the team now has another option.

In the opening six games of the season, it became increasingly painful to watch Leadbitter, Whitehead and Varga pass the ball around each other, only for it to eventually be swept out wide and the attack to come to and end.

And with fellow new boy Kei Kamara making an impressive start with two goals in three, the ex-Norwich pair look to be forming a partnership already and with five months together at Carrow Road under their belts, the two will be well aware of each others strengths.